Pack a raincoat, a taste for craft beer, local wines and cuisine, and a love for the deep outdoors. From 5-7 May, 2020, the adventure travel community will gather in Eugene, Oregon, for the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s AdventureELEVATE 2020. The annual North America-based intensive educational and networking conference brings together buyers, suppliers, destinations, and media to share learnings, insights, and information that shape the dynamic adventure travel industry year-round.
With keynote speakers, breakout sessions on topics such as technology, marketing, and operations specific to adventure, plus plenty of creative networking time, AdventureELEVATE reconnects and reenergizes delegates from across the global adventure travel spectrum.
Connection and Community
Connecting with peers is a clear way for adventure tourism businesses to share common problems, discuss and brainstorm solutions, and forge creative partnerships. Many small business owners in the tourism space — people who often work alone or in small or even remote offices — especially value the time at AdventureELEVATE to join up with others in similar situations, handling similar challenges. The event offers plenty of unstructured networking time throughout the event and through Day of Adventure activities (Tuesday, 5 May, is the Day of Adventure in Eugene for AdventureELEVATE delegates). The AdventureExchange (Thursday, 7 May) offers all delegates a dedicated networking session for pre-scheduled one-on-one appointments. ATTA’s Disruptive Networking Adventure (D.N.A.) happy hour is a delegate favorite for meaningful, fun conversations over drinks and camaraderie (Wednesday, 6 May).
“In the same way that adventure means something different to everyone, AdventureELEVATE is no cookie-cutter style event,” said Tiffany Harrison of AAA Exclusive Vacations. “It’s implemented in a way that keeps you coming back for more.”
Adventures, Ocean to Alpine
Oregon’s landscape is synonymous with wildness, growth, adventure and discovery. The city of Eugene sits in Lane County, which extends from the Pacific Ocean to the Cascades. Eugene is famous for its tradition of athletics. It’s the only U.S. city to host three consecutive U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track & Field (1972, 1976, 1980); sports giant Nike is headquartered in nearby Beaverton; and the Eugene area has been home to a string of stars such as runners Steve Prefontaine, National Basketball Association player and coach Danny Ainge, and decathlete and two-time Olympic gold medalist Ashton Eaton. Eugene’s forward-thinking community is equally proud of its intellectual bent and the rich recreation offered by Lane County’s lush surroundings.
"Bringing our sixth annual AdventureELEVATE to the West Coast and to the sustainably focused, vibrant, and diverse town of Eugene in Lane County is a perfect fit. It’s an adventure-driven destination close to spectacular waterfalls for hiking, a quick drive to breath-taking beaches for kayaking, and farm-to-table restaurants and wineries for exquisite dining,” said ATTA Event Operations Director Amber Silvey. “Our theme for this event is “SHINE,” with keynote speakers informing and inspiring delegates to connect, learn, and improve the future of travel."
Learn more and register for AdventureELEVATE 2020.